“That’s What Makes Us Great,” by Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers with Bruce Springsteen, comes out on Wednesday.
Bruce Springsteen sings lines such as “Don’t tell me a lie and sell it as a fact” and “I never put my faith in a con man” on a new Trump Era protest song, “That’s What Makes Us Great.”
The hard-edged, angry rock song, which is being released Wednesday morning, is credited to Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers with Bruce Springsteen. Grushecky wrote it, though — around the time that President Trump took office — and Springsteen sings duet vocals. The music is all by Grushecky and his Houserockers band. (Springsteen just sings).
Grushecky starts out the song by singing about immigrants “longing to be free,” and criticizes those who “wanna slam the door.” Together, he and Springsteen declare “Let’s turn this thing around/Before it gets too late” and ask “Is there a difference I can make?”
“I’m a college grad — I started out as a political science major, and I’ve always worked with the underprivileged,” says Grushecky in an interview with NJArts.net. “My father is from a coal mining family. I’ve always been socially conscious and aware of what goes on around me.
“It’s just dumbfounding that this guy could even be elected, I thought to myself. (The song’s message) was probably percolating for a while.”
The song will premiere Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. on SiriusXM satellite radio’s E Street Radio channel, and will be available to download and purchase at joegrushecky.com.
The Pittsburgh-based Grushecky and his Houserockers band, who have worked with Springsteen many times before, will perform at the Wonder Bar in Asbury Park, July 8, and “That’s What Makes Us Great” is likely to be played in the show.
“It’s meant to be played by the band,” says Grushecky.
It will also be part of Grushecky’s next album, which he expects to be out by the time of the Wonder Bar show.
“It’s a pretty straightahead-rock’n’roll-type record — a lot of loud guitars,” he says of the album. “Pretty much two electric guitars, acoustic guitars and vocals. Bass and drums. There’s not a lot of other instrumentation on it. Occasional saxophone, occasional harmonica. But it’s pretty much a straightahead rock ‘n’ roll record.”
Here are the lyrics of “That’s What Makes Us Great”:
Grushecky:
They come from everywhere
All longing to be free
They come to join us here
From sea to shining sea
Grushecky and Springsteen:
And they all have a dream
As people always will
To be safe and warm
In that shining city on the hill
Grushecky:
Some wanna slam the door
Instead of opening the gate
Ah, let’s turn this thing around
Before it gets too late
Grushecky and Springsteen:
It’s up to me and you
Love can conquer hate
I know this to be true
That’s what makes us great
Springsteen:
Don’t tell me a lie
And sell it as a fact
I’ve been down that road before
And I ain’t goin’ back
And don’t you brag to me
That you never read a book
I never put my faith
In a con man and his crooks
Grushecky and Springsteen:
I won’t follow down that path
And tempt the hands of fate
Ah, let’s turn this thing around
Before it gets too late
It’s up to me and you
Love can conquer hate
I know this to be true
That’s what makes us great
Springsteen:
In the quiet of the night
I lie here wide awake
And I ask myself
Is there a difference I can make?
Grushecky and Springsteen:
Is there a difference I can make?
It’s up to me and you
Love can conquer hate
It’s up to me and you
Love can conquer hate
It’s up to me and you
Love can conquer hate
I know this to be true
And that’s what makes us great
That’s what makes us great
That’s what makes us great
That’s what makes us great
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15 comments
Springsteen is a “has-been”. His music no longer resonates with his followers. He can’t even sing. Most of his songs sound like screaming or mumbling. Anyone who thinks his stuff is great needs mental health intervention. Oh wait! Most liberals listen to this tripe; and liberalism is a mental disorder.
Figures another Archie Bunker of the Trump followers! Human rights are a concern here! I have no respect for any of you cold hearted lying greedy,unfair,prejudice excuse for a human!
Oh yeah, Trump is the greedy one that sold half of our uranium to Russia, was in on the gun running that happened, if your memory is not to dull, to have resulted in our ambassadors death. She is so full of love that she arranged for her brother to cheat the haitians out of decent housing, although he was paid overly sufficiently. I guess all of her crimes against humanity are ok with you? I would say the number of people who died who were going to testify against her or Bill ended up dead before the event, yep a real humanitarian. I know what’s wrong with you, My President Donald J Trump doesn’t need a thing from anyone, he can’t be bought, says what he thinks, & is not political enough for you. I would suggest you go back into your closet with your play dough, coloring books, & BLM BS & rest!!! The hate the left spews each & everyday has no place in America, & if you don’t like it, leave, the road leaves out of America just like it leads in. I suppose you think it’s ok for women to be struck by muslim chicken crap men, no this was an American woman coming out of a grocery store, had on a nice top, & pair of slacks, was told she was dressed like a wh*)&*& & knocked to the ground, & another brave barbaric muslim stomped on her head, yep real class act, & that’s if they don’t behead you, or gang rape you or your child, yep go ahead & spread that hate for our new President, but you better take a look at Paris, Sweden, Germany, England, they allowed them in & their taking over, wanting sharia law, & the governments of these countries do not have the gonads to stand up to these heitherns. Hillary & Bill were caught on a hot mic talking really prejudice about African Americans, but I guess that’s ok? Your a real tool, need to be deported with the rest of the idiots. Bruce never could sing, I don’t remember him being popular very long, no Archie Bunker, or Edith here either, I don’t see color, unlike the liar Hillary, she is a compulsive liar, thief, & I’m sure had her hand in a lot of murders, told our men to stand down in Benghazi, while our ambassador suffered a horrible death, read up on how they kill people they want to make an example out of, I think you should go live in Libya, or Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia, their more important to you than Americans, now put that in your pipe & smoke it.
Go suck an egg. I am a fan for 40 years. You have no idea what you are talking about. Who do you like? HAHAHA…. LOL Sorry it makes you uncomfortable when people speak the truth about your hero trumpelthinskin. The biggest disgrace, threat and embarrassment in the history of the USA. BRUUUUUUUUUUUUCE foreverrrrrrrr
No, Bill Clinton was the biggest disgrace in American history, & so was Hillary involved in so many scandals, & so very corrupt!!!! I will say when obama came along he topped Bill, being an illegal as his half brother proved on Sean Hannity bringing his real birth certificate, he was born in Kenya. He had more than one half brother & this one was sad that he didn’t even try to help them at all, just lived the good life, umm what happened to that statement the lying, filthy piece of garbage said, “we’re our brothers keeper”, well yes we should be, but he certainly wasn’t. Obama & Hillary made a deal from the start, & he didn’t plan on leaving the white house, but left a disaster for President Trump. You don’t make me uncomfortable, I feel sorry for you & your stupidity, I almost said ignorance, you can fix that, stupid can’t be fixed, & I believe that’s where your at,now crawl back into your little world with your springstein records, cds, tapes, whatever, & allow reality to pass you bye, & the truth, avoid it at all cost as it appears you are doing a fine job of……some people.
What kind of insular prat are you? A Trump supporter I suppose, from the intolerant tone you’re adopting here. Springsteen worldwide is identified with, respected and loved by, way more of the population than Trump could ever hope for! Your comments simply show you as intolerant of whatever is different or of someone who has an opinion which is different from yours. That’s where genocide comes from! Hope I’m not using words that are too difficult for you to understand!!
A “has been”? Apparently millions of people haven’t received THAT memo! It’s obvious you never tried to get tickets to one of his shows and it’s obvious you, like Trump, have no clue!
I love it, & you are so correct!!!! The left can’t help it, they have to instigate hate anyway they think they can, they think it will make a difference in President Trumps Presidency, wrong answer, it will just cause innocent people possible harmful actions, apparently they haven’t thought this through very well, but that would be the left for you, so refreshing to hear someone else call it like it is, kudos to you!!!!
It is so funny to call Bruce a has been well I guess it is not funny but you never say any thing but insults.People matter and you all seem to only care about yourselves.As everyone knows Bruce is a genius and that is a fact.Of course he is going to have something to say about what is going on now in the United States.He is an intelligent thinking person.
Why do some people have to make things ugly? If you like something you are stupid. If you don’t like something you are a moron. I like Bruce. That’s good for me. You don’t like Bruce that’s good for you. What has happened to respect and decency? We can do better here.
I don’t think anyone is anything derogatory for their choice of musicians. I think it is sad that a musician would sing a hate song to cause strife to Americans who have committed no crime, to hate a President who is doing everything he can to keep his word on all the promises he made, that’s a first for a President, except Reagan! I don’t want my grandchildren praying to allay, or men being harsh to them or doing unheard of stuff to them. They have no pride living off of the everyday hard working Americans by bringing in 4 wives, & they all have children, live in separate homes, which is free, food stamps, help with utilities, & they drive new cars. I worked very hard since I was 7, in the cotton fields, I’m lily white by the way. I was taught to have pride in our country, our leaders, even though as time has gone on corruption has taken over a lot of our government. I was taught to pray to Jesus Christ our Lord & Savior, to have pride in any job I worked, whether I worked it until I found something better, or whatever. I don’t know where the pride has gone. I believe parents are too wrapped up in themselves, video games, drugs, sex, not a bad thing that one, as long as it’s with YOUR OWN SPOUSE….lol I think President Trump inherited the biggest mess anyone could have, & ya’ll preferred corrupt Hillary, I called her that ever since Mena Arkansas, I have relatives in that area & everyone knew about him & Hillary, it wasn’t good, their thoughts towards them. I cannot believe someone would want her to be president after the corruptness she has committed against our country & us. My sons really liked Bruce, but I was busy with them, ballgames, my garden, fixing them a good home cooked meal with fresh meat & veggies, taking & picking them up from school, even after their father passed at a very young age I accepted nor ask for any kind of assistance. They are both strong young men with values such as I was reared with, & yes that means respect for others, color doesn’t matter, your actions define who you are. I could not vote for Hillary had someone put a gun to my head after all the corruption she was involved in, & I don’t think singers that we onced respected should have nothing better to do than to sit around & make up hate songs. I believe if America doesn’t wake up we’re going to be in the shape Paris France is in, Sweden, Germany, I have a friend who has family in Germany, & from what I hear it is horrible!!!! I want a safe strong America, & instead of hate songs, I believe we should be praying for OUR President Donald J Trump, just get back to the basics, I know people were around their grandmothers, mine was Indian, grandfather Irish, they received an award for the most sufficient family in the State of Arkansas, the road to their home was named “Allen Lane”, after my grandfather, & I am so proud of him, & my grandmother, she churned butter , they had a smokehouse, & yes he fought in WW1, & was in bad shape when he arrived home, & passed not long afterwards, they had 9 children, my grandmother ask no one for anything. I have nothing against the people who want to live here, not to change us, but to adapt to our way of life, a better life for them, & be part of our society, but it’s not usually the case at this time, & yes I have researched, & I suggest everyone else do the same. My father was at Pearl Harbor when it was bombed, he lived thank God, but lost a leg, but that didn’t stop him or slow him down. My good step father was in the Korean War, basically buried alive with one hand sticking up out of the ground, he’s hand & arm hurt until the day he passed in 2009. My brother, the only big brother I had lost his life due to Vietnam, & being sprayed with agent orange, inoperable brain tumor, & my best friend in the world, my current spouse was in the Iraq war & had told me it was going to destabilize the middle east, & so it did. He came home with a lot of problems but hung in there for 26 years total, his records are sealed due to things he did for our country when no wars were going on. He was a DEA agent, very intelligent person, body guard for Kissinger. I am an intelligent Patriotic person & some of ya’ll make me literally sick at my stomach, tearing down President Trump, because ya’ll resent the fact that he is wealthy, he just wants to give back, his father was an immigrant, so everyone needs to get over themselves, support him in his endeavors, he does have our best interest at heart, & next week will be introducing the new tax plan that will give the middle class which I call the struggling class now a great break, seniors a great break, everyone basically, & I think we should get over ourselves, pray for our President & his family. We don’t need songs that will stir up hate, their is enough hate without instigation & it’s so sad, people used to truly care about each other, worked together, helped each other, & those days need to come back!!! My President Donald J Trump is doing everything he can to make that a reality, whether some like it or not. I can’t believe all this bitterness & hate didn’t come out when obama was in office doing nothing but bailing out banks, spending trillions of dollars, now his yacht has been linked to drugs, & his involvement in so many corrupt things, but ya’ll are complacent when it comes to him, & according to his half brother who brought his birth certificate & was interviewed by Sean Hannity was upset that Barry, wasn’t really Barry, & did nothing to help his own impoverished family, but ya’ll go a head & rip President Trump to pieces, I’ll tell ya’ll now God has his hand on Trump, & he will succeed, or Jesus will come back, js. I try to love everyone, some you can not, but wish no harm to, but for goodness sake get back to the basics, that is not a hard thing to do, & please allow Americans to be put first!!!! God Bless Ya’ll.
Bruce has always been “The Boss” a man of great character, and an inspiration to all of mankind, using his music to extend a hand up for what is wrong in this world. What has become the problem for this society, country, is that it has become the land of the privileged. You take great pride in your reality T.V. stars, honoring, raising them up as Idol’s. Trying to emulate them, the enhancement surgeries, the buy bigger the better mentality, always trying to out do your neighbor, a friend, or even a stranger. Oh, don’t forget the cellphones, texting, posting selfies over and over, your newest toy, whatever, try taking a picture of something that might hurt, somewhere deep inside. Maybe, just maybe, if you spent a little bit of that energy volunteering your time in soup kitchen’s, food distribution center’s, homeless shelter’s, vet’s nursing homes, you’d regain some of the human back. That’s what makes a patriot of this country!!!!!!!!!!!!
maybe you should write a song about hilliary.